Broom with hollow head and tufts of bristles fixed within the head



gill I E. GANTZ BROOM WITH HOLLOW HEAD AND TUFTS OF BRISTLES FIXED WITHIN THE HEAD Filed June 17, 1952 ATTORNEY March 29, 1955 United States Patent BROOM WITH HOLLOW HEAD AND TUFTS OF BRISTLES FIXED WITHIN THE HEAD Emanuel Gantz, Harrison, N. Y., assignor to Empire Brushes, lnc., Port Chester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 17, 1952, Serial No. 293,997

8 Claims. (Cl. -168) This invention relates to brooms. It is particularly directed to a household broom which has a flat brush with long bristles. Hithertorore, household brooms of this type made of natural vegetable fibres or bristles have been transversely stitched at intermediate portions thereof to give the bristles a firmness or stiffness which they otherwise would not have, because of the length of the fibres or bristles.

It has been found desirable to make brooms of this type with a brush of synthetic mono-filaments or bristles. Dilficulty has been encountered in stitching a brush of synthetic filaments to give them the desired firmness or stiffness.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide in a broom of the character described, an improved means for supporting the synthetic bristles or filaments transversely and at an intermediate portion thereof, thereby obviating the necessity for the cross stitching employed when using natural bristles, such means comprising a sleeve or apron or skirt surrounding the brush and attached to the top holder to which the tufts of bristles or filaments are attached, such sleeve, apron or skirt extending below such holder and containing the brush and stiffening the same or to make the brush more firm so that it is not too soft whereby to enhance the sweeping qualities of the broom.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved broom of the character described, comprising a hollow holder to which the broom handle is attached, a plug fixed within the bottom open end of the holder, said plug being formed with rows of openings and a brush comprising folded-over tufts of synthetic bristles having their folded-over portions received in the openings in the plug and stapled to the plug, and an apron attached to the bottom of the holder and surrounding the brush to support the tufts of bristles at points below the holder to increase the firmness or stifiness of the brush.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a broom of the character described comprising a hollow holder made of hard synthetic plastic material open at its lower end and having parallel front and rear walls extending down from the top wall and downwardly and outwardly inclined end walls interconnecting the front and rear. walls, the top wall being formed with a central downwardly projecting tapering sleeve to receive the lower end of the broom handle, a plug fitted within the bottom lower end of the holder enclosing the same, a brush comprising tufts of synthetic mono-filaments fixed to the plug and extending downwardly therefrom, and an apron attached to the lower end of the holder and projecting downwardly therefrom and likewise having front and rear parallel walls and interconnected by downwardly and outwardly flaring end walls and supporting the brush at points below the holder.

Another object of this invention is to provide a highly improved broom of the character described, comprising long synthetic bristles which will not be overly soft but will be maintained as a stiff or firm brush.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a broom of the character described, which has a plastic apron which transversely surrounds the upper part of the bristles, thus providing a sturdy line of leverage around which the bendable bristles can bend and still maintain a certain stiffness or firmness, and without the use of any transverse lines of stitching.

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Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a strong, rugged and durable broom of the character described, which shall be inexpensive to manufacture, easy to operate, and which shall yet be practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other ob ects or this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown an illustrative embodiment of this invention,

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a broom embodying the invention and illustrating several tufts of bristles attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing the parts in disassembled condition, and with parts thereof broken away, and illustrating several tufts of bristles attached thereto;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through the broom and showing the interior make-up of the broom, and several tufts of bristles attached thereto;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3;

P Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, 10 designates a broom embodying the invention. The same comprises a frame or holder 11 having a top semi-curved wall 12, end semi-curved walls 13, and front and rear walls 14 and 15, respectively, that flare outwardly at their bottom. Said top wall 12 has a circular opening 16, centrally located thereon, and extending downwardly from said opening is an annular shaped tapered flange 17, with the smaller opening 18 thereof being at its bottommost part. Said annular shaped tapered flange 17 comprises an outer surface 19, and an inner surface 20, and spaced longitudinal grooves 21, running up and down the length of said inner surface 20. Said end walls 13 have transverse grooves 22 positioned at the middle of the bottoms of their inner surfaces for the purposes hereinafter appearing. Said front and rear walls 14 and 15 have rounded corners 23 along their lines of juncture with the said end Walls 13, and said top wall 12 has transverse semi-curved depressions 24 at its ends, and said front and rear walls 14 and 15 have spaced longitudinal depressions 25 on their outer surfaces towards the center thereof.

Fixed within the frame 11 is a plug 26 comprising a top wall 27, a bottom wall 28, end walls 29, and a front wall 30 and rear wall 31. Said front wall 30 and rear wall 31 flare outwardly at their ends so that top wall 27 is shorter in length than bottom wall 28 and end walls 29 conform in shape to that of the inner surface of frame end walls 13. Said bottom wall 28 has spaced tiers of holes 32, drilled partly therein. Said end walls 29 have transverse grooves 33 at the middle of their bottom edges in order to form complementary meetings with grooves 22 in the frame end walls 13 when plug 26 is inserted into the frame or holder 11.

Lengths of bristle-like material 34 are doubled over themselves as at 35, and inserted into said holes 32 on the bottom wall 28 of plug 26. Said lengths of synthetic bristle-like material have their bent portions 35 aligned so that the axes thereof in each hole 32 is transverse to that of the longitudinal axis of the bottom wall 28 of the plug 26. Inserted in each hole 32, over the bent portions 35 of each length of plastic bristle-like material 34 which are aligned is a U-shaped staple 36, having its bottom side 37 in contact with the bent portions 35 of the aligned lengths of bristle-like material 34, and its forked prongs 38 inserted into the body of said plug 26. It is thus seen that the plug has strands of material which in size and shape resemble the ordinary wire or straw bristles of a broom and which are fixed in the plug portion. Similarly it is seen that the plug 26 is inserted into the frame or holder 11 and fixed therein at its contacting wall surfaces 30, 31 and 29 by means of a cement or plastic filler. The complementary grooves 22 of the inner surface of frame walls 13 and the grooves 33 on the plug end walls 29 thus form transverse grooves 43.

An apron 44 comprising curved end walls 45 and front and rear walls 46 and 47, respectively, has upward extensions 48 which fit into grooves 43 and are secured therein by means of cement or plastic filler. Said front and rear walls 46 and 47 are flared outwardly at their ends so that their bottom edges are longer than their top edges. Apron 44 has longitudinal parallel step-like projections 49 which continuously circle the said apron 44 and so form outer walls 45, 46 and 47. Front wall 46 and rear wall 47 have their upper portions cut out at their midsections as at 50, so that the upper edges of one of the continuous longitudinal step-like projections 51 forms the bottom edge of said cut out portion 50 on wall 46 and rear Wall 47, and curved corners 52 connect the upper ends of edge 50a of said step 51 with the next longitudinal step 54 thereabove it.

It is thus seen that the apron 44 is fixed into the grooves 43 formed by the said plug and frame, and the apron forms a line of leverage around which the said bristles 34 can bend.

A conventional handle 55 having a tapered end 56, with longitudinal spaced projections 57 is inserted in opening 16 of the top frame wall 12 and thrust downwardly so that projections 57 thereof engage the grooves 21 of the tapered annular flange 17. The depressions 24, 25 and stepped projections 51 are primarily for ornamental purposes.

The purpose of cut outs 50 is to lighten the device and to expose the bristles, and to reduce the length of upper edge of member 44 that contacts the lower edge of member 26.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A broom comprising a hollow head having a top wall, front and rear walls extending downwardly from the top wall, and end walls extending downwardly from the top wall and interconnecting the front and rear walls, said end walls flaring downwardly and outwardly, said front and rear walls being parallel, said head being open at its bottom, a plug fitted within the open bottom end of the head, tufts of bristles of synthetic plastic material attached to the plug and projecting downwardly therefrom, and an apron attached to the lower edge of the front, rear and end walls of the head and extending downwardly therefrom and surrounding said tufts and engaging portions of the tufts to increase the stiffnessof the latter, the portions of the tufts below the apron being adapted to be flexed when sweeping with the broom.

2. The combination of claim 1, the end walls of said apron likewise being flared downwardly and outwardly, and the ends of the plug being tapered to fit within the flared end walls of the head.

3. The combination of claim 2, the upper ends of the front and rear walls of the apron being cut away to expose upper portions of said tufts from both sides of the rame.

4. A broom comprising a hollow head having a top wall, front and rear walls extending downwardly from the top wall, and end walls extending downwardly from the top wall and interconnecting the front and rear walls, said end walls flaring downwardly and outwardly, said front and rear walls being parallel, said head being open at its bottom, a plug fitted within the open bottom end of the head, tufts of bristles attached to the plug and projecting downwardly therefrom, and an apron attached to the lower edge of the front, rear and end walls of the head and extending downwardly therefrom and surrounding said tufts, said top wall being spaced from the plug and having a central downwardly and inwardly tapering tubular portion interconnecting the front and rear walls, the lower end of said tubular portion being spaced above the plug, and a broom handle having a tapered lower end inserted into said tubular portion.

5. The combination of claim 4, said tubular portion having internal longitudinal ribs engaging the portion of the handle inserted into said tubular portion.

6. A broom comprising a head made of a single piece of synthetic plastic rigid material and comprising a top wall, front and rear walls and end walls, said head being open at its lower end, a plug inserted into the lower open end of the head and fixed therein, an apron contacting the lower edge of the head and extending downwardly there from and likewise having front, rear and end walls, and being made of synthetic plastic material, and tufts of bristles of synthetic plastic material attached to the plug and extending downwardly therefrom, and said apron surrounding the upper ends of said tufts, and means for attaching the apron to said head and plug, said head having a central downwardly extending tubular portion open at its lower end and interconnecting the front and rear walls, the lower end of said tubular portion being spaced above the plug, and a broom handle having a tapered lower end wedged within said tubular portion.

7. The combination of claim 6, said end walls of said head being flared downwardly and outwardly, and the end walls of said apron being flared downwardly and outwardly and forming a continuation of the flared end walls of the head, and the ends of the plug being tapered to fit within the end walls of said head.

8. The combination of claim 6, the front and rear walls of said apron having upper cut away portions to expose portions of said tufts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 624,055 Lawrence May 2, 1899 689,941 Wilson Dec. 31, 1901 1,182,496 Lord May 9, 1916 1,928,929 Craig Oct. 3, 1933 1,990,619 Schumann Feb. 12, 1935 2,127,000 Mitchell Aug. 16, 1938 2,426,315 Marick Aug. 26, 1947 2,610,345 Simms Sept. 16, 1952 2,653,056 Montero et a1 Sept. 22, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,765 Great Britain Sept. 21, 1908 

